Chapter 23
is the 23rd chapter of the manga and the third chapter of the Mondo Grosso Arc. Koko Hekmatyar pretends to have conceded the UAV deal to Amalia Torohovsky while putting in place her counterattack and launching it. Title page Koko Hekmatyar and Valmet in their hotel room. Summary Lehm, R, Jonah, Mao, Ugo, and Tojo arrive in Country B where Tojo will negotiate with the military for the Predator. R wonders if the rest of the squad back in London will be alright, but Lehm tells him to focus on their assignment and Mao points out that they are also being tailed by the Euro Group. Tojo suggests that things will be fine after he closes the Country B deal but is laughed at as Koko herself is having trouble. Back in London, Koko and Valmet are in their hotel room, where they have been holed up for the past two days since the start of the negotiations. Valmet is getting concerned as Koko has spent the time snacking and watching TV, but the latter then receives a call and sends an email. Elsewhere her transmissions are being monitored by a surveillance team, who notes that this is the 25th email that Koko has sent that hour. The Dassault consultant wonders if the DGSE could help out by decoding the email, but is told that they would need to know which one to work on. He has the team continue their surveillance while he updates Amalia Torohovsky. Koko calls Schokolade and tells her that she has lost the UAV deal, citing the leak to the Italian press and stating that HCLI will withdraw. In her car, Amalia tells the consultant that the reason she did not find it hard to leave acting was that both the film and stage come down to make believe. However in the real world those same skills can be used to turn a profit, with consequences for being found out. She thus concludes that all of Koko's calls for the past three days have been nothing but a lie. Koko herself verifies this to Valmet before sending the real message through, which is received by Schokolade in Germany, who is happy with her decision to help Koko out in exchange for the diamond. Amalia pulls up a photo of Koko meeting with Schokolade in Hyde Park and wonders who the latter is and suspects that Koko is up to something. She decides to make sure that the Country B officials will not pull out of the deal. Lutz and Wiley come over after hearing the news that Country A has called off its plans to attack guerillas across the border in Country B, just like Koko predicted. She is not surprised and points out that military operations require thousands or millions of idea, with her idea being just one. Later that night Amalia is having a drink with Marikis, who is confident that the United States will not get involved in the European UAV market. However he receives the sudden news that the is purchasing 20 Predators, which will be used in conjunction with German radar. Marikis takes his leave and Amalia realises that Koko's counterattack has been launched. Back in Germany Schokolade is glad that things with the Germans went so smoothly unlike with the Spanish, and goes to get dinner. Amalia and the consultant then learn from Dassault that the have also purchased the Predator. As they are about to leave the hotel they run into Nassos, who is in a panic that the EAE Group is currently being subjected to a by a named Euro Hekmat B, which is buying up their stock. Amalia is shocked at the extent of Koko's plan and calls her to arrange a meeting, which Koko agrees to. Anime and manga differences *Two members of the Euro Group are shown tailing Lehm's group in Country B. *Tojo is inside the SUV when he suggests that he will wrap up the negotiations quickly. *Koko does not watch TV and more snacks are shown on her bed. More details of the newspaper Valmet is reading are shown. Koko is shown transmitting the 25th email. *Koko's position when she calls Schokolade is different. Amalia's Mercedes-Benz is shown parked on a side street. The German city that Schokolade is in is named as Bonn. Amalia's visualisation of a wolf tearing through a net is omitted. *The news coverage that Lutz brings up is shown on channel BBG and shows tanks instead of APCs. *More of London is shown before the scene switches to Marikis and Amalia. The scene of Schokolade going to get dinner is different. *Nassos is shown pulling up to the hotel. Debut appearances *Nassos' secretary Trivia The news channel is shown as DNN, a pun on . Category:Volume 4 23